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Just behind where I live there is a fabulous twisty road that has since a very long time become a major hangout for motorcycle riders. I have myself ridden this road so many times that I know every bit of it by heart and could probably ride it blindfolded. I love riding up and down there just to clear my mind, but I always leave a huge margin for the unknown because this is an open road. I just have no way of knowing what will be around the next blind corner, and I can't possibly know what the opposite traffic might do.
Unfortunately far too many riders do not take enough caution on there. There is not a sunny weekend that goes by that I don't hear bikes riding up there, and at some point I then hear the sirens of an ambulance. Often I go to a small parking area we call the pit stop to talk to the young riders on their supersport bikes, and try to get them to ease off a bit. Far too often they look at me like "who is this old fart who doesn't know how to ride?" For sure, many of them know how to ride very well, and thy would no doubt score good times on a race track. But it is a race track that they should ride like they do, not on an open road with blind corners. Seriously, scraping the knee over the middle line through a blind corner will eventually end up in tears.
I have done my share of track riding over the years, and I too enjoy getting the knee down while fully committed to a corner, but I would never do that on an open road. This is also why I so like my CB1100 because I can ride this bike well within the safety margins and still fully enjoy the ride.
Unfortunately there will always be riders that think that they are invincible, and that they know exactly what they are doing. The problem is, they simply can't know what others are doing...
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As I read this thread while watching TV there was a story about a motorcyclist riding on I-80 in Iowa who was hit by a wheel that had come off of a trailer that was being pulled by a pickup truck -- the biker was killed.
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(08-16-2014, 08:54 PM)Henrik_imp Wrote: Just behind where I live there is a fabulous twisty road that has since a very long time become a major hangout for motorcycle riders. I have myself ridden this road so many times that I know every bit of it by heart and could probably ride it blindfolded. I love riding up and down there just to clear my mind, but I always leave a huge margin for the unknown because this is an open road. I just have no way of knowing what will be around the next blind corner, and I can't possibly know what the opposite traffic might do.
Unfortunately far too many riders do not take enough caution on there. There is not a sunny weekend that goes by that I don't hear bikes riding up there, and at some point I then hear the sirens of an ambulance. Often I go to a small parking area we call the pit stop to talk to the young riders on their supersport bikes, and try to get them to ease off a bit. Far too often they look at me like "who is this old fart who doesn't know how to ride?" For sure, many of them know how to ride very well, and thy would no doubt score good times on a race track. But it is a race track that they should ride like they do, not on an open road with blind corners. Seriously, scraping the knee over the middle line through a blind corner will eventually end up in tears.
I have done my share of track riding over the years, and I too enjoy getting the knee down while fully committed to a corner, but I would never do that on an open road. This is also why I so like my CB1100 because I can ride this bike well within the safety margins and still fully enjoy the ride.
Unfortunately there will always be riders that think that they are invincible, and that they know exactly what they are doing. The problem is, they simply can't know what others are doing...
Which, if I may, might be Ptero's point: you don't blame the shark for biting the leg that looks like a fish. You assume the cagers are out to kill you, and if they've got a shot at you, they'll take it. I saw the old bat who drove out of a mall parking lot straight into my bike coming, and I assumed she'd stop. She didn't, as a result she made "ass-fault out of you and me."
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Public roads are not places for pseudo racing. Public roads are just that and the "public" has a wide range of driving skills (young,mold, good eyes, poor eyes, very skilled, students in training, and etc). When you push the limits on a public road, the "public" is one factor you must account for. Tracks significantly reduce these and other issues.
Pseudo racing belongs on the track, for cars and motorcycles alike.
For street riding, there is always significant risk we the motorcycle rider cannot control. If unwilling to accept the risk, then park the bike. But if you push your driving reducing your risk margin, at some point the accident will occur due to changing risk conditions. So ride with enough safety margin for changing conditions.
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(08-16-2014, 11:55 PM)Elipten_imp Wrote: Public roads are not places for pseudo racing. Public roads are just that and the "public" has a wide range of driving skills (young,mold, good eyes, poor eyes, very skilled, students in training, and etc). When you push the limits on a public road, the "public" is one factor you must account for. Tracks significantly reduce these and other issues.
Pseudo racing belongs on the track, for cars and motorcycles alike.
For street riding, there is always significant risk we the motorcycle rider cannot control. If unwilling to accept the risk, then park the bike. But if you push your driving reducing your risk margin, at some point the accident will occur due to changing risk conditions. So ride with enough safety margin for changing conditions.
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Very few get the point of my post. I am sure it is because I am too obtuse or don't express my self clearly. Let me try to keep it simple. Below I use the word "you" in the generic, not personal sense.
Stopped at traffic lights you are rear ended. In traffic on the freeway you are pushed off by a sudden an un-indicated lane change. Who's fault? In the tactical sense the motorist. No use whinging about it though. Just man up and say it is my fault for riding a motorbike in an environment I cannot fully control. IT'S MY FAULT.
As for street racing. Shouldn't happen but it does (Just put "Tail of the Dragon - crashes" into Youtube if you don't believe me). If you are committed to a line because you choose to leave no margin (as some do) and, lo and behold, a motorist, for whatever reason, appears on your side of the road it's the same deal. No use whinging about it though. Just man up and say it is my fault for riding a motorbike in an environment I cannot fully control. IT'S MY FAULT.
Even if your not racing and just tootling around a normal old corner and a head on situation occurs it's the same deal. You are poorly placed on a bike. But mate, you chose to ride. Wear it or improve your chances with a Humvee or whatever. No use whinging about it though. Just man up and say it is my fault for riding a motorbike in an environment I cannot fully control. IT'S MY FAULT.
Agreed? If not then I believe you are living in cloud cuckoo land. In conclusion I think when you, as a motorcyclist, look in the metaphorical mirror you are looking at a risk taker. Don't complain if it goes pear shaped. Just man up and say it is my fault for riding a motorbike in an environment I cannot fully control. IT'S MY FAULT.
Cheers
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(08-17-2014, 09:14 AM)Pterodactyl_imp Wrote: (08-16-2014, 11:55 PM)Elipten_imp Wrote: Public roads are not places for pseudo racing. Public roads are just that and the "public" has a wide range of driving skills (young,mold, good eyes, poor eyes, very skilled, students in training, and etc). When you push the limits on a public road, the "public" is one factor you must account for. Tracks significantly reduce these and other issues.
Pseudo racing belongs on the track, for cars and motorcycles alike.
For street riding, there is always significant risk we the motorcycle rider cannot control. If unwilling to accept the risk, then park the bike. But if you push your driving reducing your risk margin, at some point the accident will occur due to changing risk conditions. So ride with enough safety margin for changing conditions.
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Very few get the point of my post. I am sure it is because I am too obtuse or don't express my self clearly. Let me try to keep it simple. Below I use the word "you" in the generic, not personal sense.
Stopped at traffic lights you are rear ended. In traffic on the freeway you are pushed off by a sudden an un-indicated lane change. Who's fault? In the tactical sense the motorist. No use whinging about it though. Just man up and say it is my fault for riding a motorbike in an environment I cannot fully control. IT'S MY FAULT.
As for street racing. Shouldn't happen but it does (Just put "Tail of the Dragon - crashes" into Youtube if you don't believe me). If you are committed to a line because you choose to leave no margin (as some do) and, lo and behold, a motorist, for whatever reason, appears on your side of the road it's the same deal. No use whinging about it though. Just man up and say it is my fault for riding a motorbike in an environment I cannot fully control. IT'S MY FAULT.
Even if your not racing and just tootling around a normal old corner and a head on situation occurs it's the same deal. You are poorly placed on a bike. But mate, you chose to ride. Wear it or improve your chances with a Humvee or whatever. No use whinging about it though. Just man up and say it is my fault for riding a motorbike in an environment I cannot fully control. IT'S MY FAULT.
Agreed? If not then I believe you are living in cloud cuckoo land. In conclusion I think when you, as a motorcyclist, look in the metaphorical mirror you are looking at a risk taker. Don't complain if it goes pear shaped. Just man up and say it is my fault for riding a motorbike in an environment I cannot fully control. IT'S MY FAULT.
Cheers
I don't think that I agree with that idea. It kind of validates the point of view of those that say, about ANY kind of motorcycle mishap: "that's what they get for riding motorcycles"...
Applicable in some instances, but not all.
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Take ownership mate, it comes with the territory. It's not "They", it's "Us".
Cheers
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(08-17-2014, 09:58 AM)Pterodactyl_imp Wrote: Take ownership mate, it comes with the territory. It's not "They", it's "Us".
Cheers
Well, if it were so true in all cases, then motorcycles would be impossible to insure against collision because the motorcyclist would have to pay in every case, and no insurance company is going to get into a game like *that*.
What I do feel is that those that try and blame some *other* factor for why they crashed, in *every* instance, are kidding themselves (e.g. "it was cold tires to blame"). But taking the complete opposite side of that is just as faulty (e.g. "it doesn't matter that that piano fell out of the sky and landed in front of you, YOU were on a motorcycle so it's your fault).
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Sorry, I'm not good with Tapatalk. Deserve? Definitely not. It just happens. Non motorcyclists may derive a sense of Shadenfreude, but they would feel that way about Shane McCockey. No empathy I suppose.
Cheers
The piano? In a sense yes. It's a matter of risk management. I think the day pianos fall from the sky a Hummer is the best choice of transport. But then again that's not much good when a big rig comes into play. Don't confuse fault with the legal "fault".
Cheers
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